Las Cases vines poisoned by neighbour

Six hectares of Léoville Las Cases’ vineyards have been accidentally poisoned by its neighbour Léoville Poyferré.

Léoville Las Cases, photo credit: Justerini & Brooks

The incident happened in September some two weeks before the harvest when workers from Léoville Poyferré burnt some plant waste and cardboard in a spot reserved for doing so.

However, unbeknown to them, someone had hidden canisters of polyurethane filler in the pile which gave off toxic smoke as the flames took hold and poisoned some vines from the neighbouring St Julien estate.

Didier Cuvelier, owner of Léoville Poyferré, has taken full responsibility for the accident but stressed his and his workers’ innocence in the matter.

“Certain people around here have got used to throwing just about anything away wherever they like,” he told French newspaper Sud-Ouest.

“In the ashes, experts found traces of BA13 plasterboard and burnt aerosols, probably from plasterers, that had been thrown away on our property.”